This is a viewpoint on the Letter by Yufan Yan et al (2020 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 33 05LT02).

High-field magnets are essential across a range of scientific disciplines. They are used in particle accelerators for high-energy physics to understand the most fundamental constituents of matter and how these interact, to ultimately understand the universe around us. Higher magnetic fields lead to improvements in the sensitivity and resolution of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – powerful tools used to study materials noninvasively at various levels. High-field magnets are also an essential component of magnetic confinement fusion devices, long touted as the clean and sustainable energy source needed to mitigate climate change and meet our ever-increasing energy demands.